Therapeutic oscillating apparatus



March 19, 1968 K. W. WITTKE THERAPEUTIC OSCILLATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-$heet 1 Filed Jan. 27, 1965 March 19, 1968 K. w. WITTKE 3,

THERAPEUTIC OSCILLATING APPARATUS I Filed Jan. 27, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3,373,738 THERAPEUTIC OSCILLATING APPARATUS Kurt W. Wittke, 7055 Corbin Ave., Canoga Park, Calif. 91386 Filed Jan. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 428,468 Claims. (Cl. 12828) The present invention relates to therapeutic apparatus and, more particularly, to apparatus for tilting or oscillating a bed in order to therapeutically benefit the occupant thereof. Medical science has recognized the value of oscillatory therapy by which the body is slowly tilted back and forth for the purpose of aiding such conditions as arterial diseases of the lower extremities, shock, respiratory disturbances involving paralysis of respiration, phlebitis, stroke, etc.

In the prior art several devices have been designed for bed oscillating purposes, however, they have been generally unsatisfactory because of the complexity of the apparatus, the vibratory and noise disturbances to the bed occupant, and the space required to house the unit adjacent the bed.

It is, therefore, an object of my present invention to provide an improved bed oscillating apparatus.

It is also an object of my present invention to provide a bed oscillating apparatus designed for relatively slow oscillation with a minimum of noise and vibration.

It is a further object of my present invention to provide a bed oscillating apparatus suitable for use with conventional beds.

Other objects and a more complete understanding of my present invention will become apparent from the following specification and claims when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the apparatus of my present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a side elevation of my present invention with a lower lifting arm position shown in phantom line;

FIG. 3 shows an end view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged end view showing the connection between the lifting arm and the crank.

Referring briefly to the drawings, an apparatus designed for lifting one end of the bed represented by bedposts 10 is shown. The bed is lifted with a motor driven crankshaft 12 which rotates a crank 14 and transmits an oscillatory motion to a lifting arm 16 upon which the bedposts 10 are supported in the bed support channel 18. An electric motor with a suitable speed reducing power train is provided on a support frame to slowly rotate the crankshaft and, thus, very slowly oscillate one end of the bed.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1, an electric motor 20 and a gear reduction box 22 are mounted on a support frame 24 with a plate member 26. The gear train consists of a series of driveshafts 28a, 28b, and 280 rotatably mounted on support frame 24 with pillow blocks 30 which are bolted to the support frame 24, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. A small sprocket 32 is provided on the drive end of the gear boX and arranged to drive the first driveshaft 28a through a larger sprocket 34 with a roller chain 36, thus effecting a speed reduction (with a corresponding increase in power) from the gear box to the driveshaft 28a. The speed is further reduced through additional speed reducing chain and sprocket arrangements so that the Speed of the driveshafts 28a, 28b, 28c, and the final driveshaft 12 is successively reduced. Thus, final driveshaft 12 is driven through the power chain at a relatively slow speed with a relatively high torque. Although I prefer to use a series of chains and sprockets for speed reducing in order to utilize a relatively small motor and 3,373,738 Patented Mar. 19, 1968 ice to reduce noise and vibration, other appropriate speed reducing means could be utilized which would be capable of driving the final driveshaft or crankshaft 12 at a relatively slow speed, for example, on the order of approximately one revolution per sixteen minutes.

The channel support frame 24 may be provided with a stabilizer bar 25 which engages the floor surface in order to prevent tilting.

The bedposts 10 are supported on rubber pads 38 on bed support channel 18 which is aflixed to lifting arms 16. The bedposts 10 preferably are the front bedposts, that is, the bedposts at the foot of the bed. The lifting arms 16 are pivoted at their ends opposite from the bed support channel 18 on support posts 40 which are aflixed to the channel support frame 24. The support frame 24 is positioned between the lifting arms 16 and support channel 18 spaced so that they can oscillate below the level of the top of the support frame 24.

The final driveshaft 12 is affixed to hell cranks 14 as with set keys so that the final driveshaft serves as a crankshaft for the bell cranks. The cranks are positioned between the support frame 24 and the lifting arms 16. The rotary motion of the crank pins 42 about the shaft 12 is imparted to the lifting arms 16 through pillow blocks 44 which are bolted to carriage members 46 which are slidably mounted on the lifting arms 16.

The carriage members 46 each have a pair of anti-friction roller bearings 48 mounted therein and adapted to support lifting arms 16. The weight of the bed which is on the lifting arm 16 is slidably borne by the roller bearings 48.

As previously indicated, the crank pins 42 are journaled 1n the upper ends 50 of the bell cranks and the pillow blocks 44 to which the carriage member is affixed, as best shown in FIG. 4.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The final driveshaft 12 is afiixed to the bell cranks 14 so that as the final driveshaft is rotated it rotates the bell crank arm 360 about the crankshaft and, thus, the apparatus oscillates the bed from a position below horizontal to a position above horizontal. The lowest position of the bed 18 reached when the crank arms 15 are vertical with the crank pins positioned below the crankshaft. The speed of the final driveshaft and the length of the lifting arms 16 and crank arms 15 are such that the bed may be oscillated at any predetermined rate. Motor 20 may also be a variable speed motor to permit control of the oscillation rate of a specific apparatus. Since the bell cranks are keyed to the final driveshaft 12 outside of the support frame 24 and the bed support channel 18 extends beyond the support frame 24, the crank arms can carry the lifting arms to a position below the crankshaft, as shown in phantom llne in FIG. 2. Thus, with the crankshaft rotating in clockwise direction the bed is lifted from the position shown position, at which position the bed is at its lowest position, Further clockwise rotation of the crankshaft raises the bed from the bottom vertical position through the position shown in phantom line in FIG. 2 to the top vertical position shown in solid line in FIG. 2, which represents the highest position of the bed.

The present invention has been described to an apparatus for lifting a bed, however, understood that my present apparatus can also to oscillate tables, chairs or other structures purposes.

Although my present invention has been described herein with a certain degree of particularity with reference to a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood with respect it is to be be utilized for similar 3 that the scope of my present invention should not be limited to the details set forth, but should be afforded the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for oscillating a bed about a horizontal plane, comprisingin combination:

(a) a stationary support frame,

(b) a crankshaft rotatably supported on said frame,

() drive means for rotating said shaft,

(d) a crank driven by said shaft, said crank being arranged to rotate about said shaft,

(e) a lifting arm having one end pivoted to said frame and means on the other end of said lifting arm adapted to support said bed,

(f) a carriage member slidably disposed on said lifting arm,

(g) means connecting said crank to said carriage member,

(b) said carriage being so constructed and arranged with respect to said crank and said lifting arm as to support and oscillate the bed supporting end of said lifting arm as said carriage is oscillated by said crank.

2. Therapeutic apparatus for oscillating a bed about a horizontal plane, comprising in combination:

(a) a bed having front and rear bedposts,

(b) a horizontally disposed stationary support frame positionable under said bed,

(c) a crankshaft rotatably supported on said frame,

(d) drive means for rotating said crankshaft,

(e) a crank driven by said crankshaft, said crank being keyed to rotate with said crankshaft,

(f) a lifting arm having one end pivoted to said support frame,

(-g) means on the other end of said lifting arm for supporting said bedposts, said supporting means being of sufficient length to receive both of said front bedposts,

(h) a carriage member longitudinally slidable on said lifting arm, and

(i) means connecting said crank to said carriage member,

() said carriage being so constructed and arranged with respect to said crank and said lifting arm as to support and oscillate the bed supporting end of said lifting arm as said carriage is oscillated by said crank.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said crankshaft is supported transversely with respect to said support frame.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said crank is operatively connected to said carriage member with a crank pin journaled in a pillow block, said pillow block being affixed to said carriage member.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said crankshaft driving means includes an electric motor and speed reducing means.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said speed reducing means comprises a multiplicity of chains and sprockets arranged in series on driveshafts mounted transversely on said support frame.

7. Apparatus for oscillating a bed having front bedposts about a horizontal plane, comprising in combination:

(a) a stationary support frame,

(b) a crankshaft rotatably supported on said frame,

(c) drive means for rotating said crankshaft,

(d) a crank driven by said crankshaft, said crank being arranged to rotate with said crankshaft,

(e) a lifting arm having one end pivoted to said frame and means on the other end of said lifting arm to receive said front bedposts, said latter means being of a size to receive both of said front bedposts,

(f) a carriage member slidably disposed on said lifting arm, and

(g) said carriage being so constructed and arranged with respect to said crank and said lifting arm as to support and oscillate the bed receiving end of said lifting arm as said carriage is oscillated by said crank.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said receiving means is a channel shaped member.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said lifting arm is affixed to said channel.

10. Apparatus for oscillating a bed having front and rear bedposts about a horizontal plane, comprising in combination:

(a) a horizontally disposed stationary support frame adapted for positioning under said bed,

(b) a crankshaft rotatably supported transversely on said support frame,

(c) drive means for rotating said crankshaft, said drive means including a speed reducing power train, (d) a crank adapted to be driven by said crankshaft,

said crank being keyed to rotate With said crankshaft,

(e) a bed support channel adapted to receive the bedposts from one end of said bed,

(f) a lifting arm pivoted at one end to said frame and operatively affixed at said other end to said bed support channel,

(g) a carriage member slidably disposed longitudinally on said lifting arm,

(h) a crank pin operatively connecting saidcrank to said carriage member, and

(i) a pillow block afiixed to said carriage member and journaled to said crank pin to transmit the rotary motion of said crank into an oscillatory motion of said lifting arm,

(j) said carriage member being so constructed and arranged with respect to said crank and said lifting arm as to support and oscillate the bed receiving end of said lifting arm as said carriage is oscillated by said crank.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 453,963 6/1891 Cochran 7448 760,596 5/1904 Williams 7445 2,700,382 1/1955 Brand l28-33 3,071,130 1/1963 Hoyer et al. 3,247,528 4/1966 Swenson et al. 128-33 X L. W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR OSCILLATING A BED ABOUT A HORIZONTAL PLANE, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A STATIONARY SUPPORT FRAME, (B) A CRANKSHAFT ROTATABLY SUPPORTED ON SAID FRAME, (C) DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT, (D) A CRANK DRIVEN BY SAID SHAFT, SAID CRANK BEING ARRANGED TO ROTATE ABOUT SAID SHAFT, (E) A LIFTING ARM HAVING ONE END PIVOTED TO SAID FRAME AND MEANS ON THE OTHER END OF SAID LIFTING ARM ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SAID BED, (F) A CARRIAGE MEMBER SLIDABLY DISPOSED ON SAID LIFTING ARM, (G) MEANS CONNECTING SAID CRANK TO SAID CARRIAGE MEMBER, 